Six Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home in Europe during COVID-19

The number of people working from home (WFH) increased radically during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate people’s experiences of WFH during the pandemic and to identify the main factors of advantages and disadvantages of WFH. Data from 29 European countries on the experiences of knowledge workers (N = 5748) WFH during the early stages of lockdown (11 March to 8 May 2020) were collected. A factor analysis showed the overall distribution of people’s experiences and how the advantages and disadvantages of WFH during the early weeks of the pandemic can be grouped into six key factors. The results indicated that most people had a more positive rather than negative experience of WFH during lockdown. Three factors represent the main advantages of WFH: (i) work–life balance, (ii) improved work efficiency and (iii) greater work control. The main disadvantages were (iv) home office constraints, (v) work uncertainties and (vi) inadequate tools. Comparing gender, number of children at home, age and managers versus employees in relation to these factors provided insights into the differential impact of WFH on people’s lives. The factors help organisations understand where action is most needed to safeguard both performance and well-being. As the data were collected amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend further studies to validate the six factors and investigate their importance for well-being and performance in knowledge work.

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Higher Education: The Role of Universities Research Structure

MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends and Practices ◽

10.52634/mier/2018/v8/i2/1389 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 171-179

Author(s):

Nader Gholi Ghorchian ◽

Shahrooz Farjad ◽

Ali Taghipour Zahir

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Conceptual Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Key Factors ◽

Analysis Technique ◽

Tehran Province ◽

And Performance ◽

Research Structure

As higher education plays a pivotal role in the economic well-being of modern societies, universities today are faced with increasing pressure in order to improve their accountability and performance. They have to redesign the research structure to achieve the set objectives. The present survey aimed at studying the factors and related indicators that affect the effectiveness of the research structure of the universities. The sample included 274 faculty members who were selected through stratified random method at 8 branches of Islamic Azad University in Tehran province (Iran). Research questions were: a) What key Factors influence the Effectiveness of the universities’ research structure? and b) What conceptual model can be designed? Finally, in this study using a questionnaire and factor analysis technique, eight factors were identified and ranked which contribute towards the effectiveness of research structure in universities . Finally, a conceptual model has been proposed for the universities to strengthen their research structure.

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The Responsiveness of Teacher Education Managers at an ODeL College to Resilience and the Well-Being of Staff Working from Home During COVID-19

International Journal of Educational Methodology ◽

10.12973/ijem.7.4.623 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 623-635

Author(s):

Micheal M. ◽

Christy J. ◽

Samson L. ◽

Fulufhelo Mukhati

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Mixed Method ◽

Well Being ◽

Learning Context ◽

Working From Home ◽

Mixed Method Design ◽

E Learning ◽

Operational Practices ◽

And Performance ◽

Education Managers

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased anxiety and stress among teacher education managers and has given rise to the question of whether they have the competencies to execute their operational responsibilities productively. The theories of resilience and transformational leadership underpin this study in which teacher education managers’ resilience and their responsiveness to the well-being of staff executing their operational practices in an open distance e-learning context were explored. A qualitative approach was adopted and virtual video conferencing interviews with teacher education managers were used to explore how they mitigated their strategic and operational roles and their managerial functions to ensure the well-being and organisational performance of staff working from home. Results revealed the experiences of distance managers to have been positive in that they implemented organisational strategies to mitigate the challenges faced to ensure wellness and performance among staff working from a distance. Further research applying a mixed-method design should be undertaken to determine how resilient managers and staff working from home are. That may yield different results.</p>

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Home Office and Its Influence on Employee Motivation

11th GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES - Global Conference on Business and Social Sciences Proceeding ◽

10.35609/gcbssproceeding.2021.12(3) ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 3-3

Author(s):

Kateřina Bočková ◽

Daniel Lajčin

Keyword(s):

Work Performance ◽

Current Practice ◽

Employee Motivation ◽

Home Office ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Leadership Management ◽

Work From Home ◽

Working From Home ◽

Traditional Work ◽

Positive Motivation

There are several variants and various modifications of forms of work outside the office. Some companies use, enable or even prefer working from home in the form of a home office. In practice, we often encounter different views on this form of work, both in terms of positive benefits and negatives and risks. In practice, there is probably no uniform view of this issue, both on the part of employers and management and employees. Working from home in the form of a home office shows certain specifics and places specific and different demands on both employees and employers compared to "traditional" work in the office or in another place designated by the employer to perform work. The problem may be not only the decision itself whether to allow and whether to use work from home for employees, but also the decision on which job positions and with what job description are suitable for the mentioned form of work performance. The place of work most likely has a significant effect on the motivation of employees and management. The question is whether and under what conditions positive motivation prevails, or negative motivation, i.e. demotivation. In the presented work, we focus on the advantages and disadvantages, i.e. the risks of the mentioned type of work, especially in the area of employee motivation. In this paper we summarize the development and current theoretical information on this issue and then compare it with current practice. In the following practical part, we will examine the perception of differences in employees, between working in the office and home office, focusing on the mentioned area of motivation. Keywords: Demotivation, Home Office, Leadership, Management, Motivation.

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THE TREND OF WORK FROM HOME AND ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

AD ALTA Journal of Interdisciplinary Research ◽

10.33543/1102145150 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 145-150

Author(s):

JIŘÍ KUČERA ◽

TOMÁŠ KRULICKÝ ◽

PETRA NAVRÁTILOVÁ

Keyword(s):

Comparative Study ◽

Personal Contact ◽

The Internet ◽

Work Processes ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Work From Home ◽

Working From Home ◽

And Performance ◽

A Company ◽

Positive Effect

This paper focuses on working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses mainly on the advantages and disadvantages of this way of working, as well as its impact on the psyche and performance of employees and, last but not least, its impact on a company's finances. It uses the synthesis of data found on the internet, from selected reliable sources dealing with the same or similar issues. From these sources it is evident that the effects of working from home are rather negative. The most frequently mentioned advantage is the saving of time, caused mainly by the absence of commuting to the office. The most frequently mentioned disadvantage is the absence of personal contact with co-workers. The disadvantage that a company could feel the most is the extension of the length of communication between employees, and thus the extension of work processes. At first glance, it might seem that a company will save money using this form of work, but the reality is that the company's costs may even increase. This is due to the fact that most companies have chosen to work from home only partly, so the costs of running the offices remain the same or slightly reduced at best, and legislation states that the company must reimburse workers for costs incurred by this form of work. It follows from this contribution that, if possible, workers and employers should avoid the practice of working from home, even though it has a positive effect on the pandemic. The potential for further research could be to compare the results of this work with the same research conducted outside of the pandemic.

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Escaping the Cubicle

Handbook of Research on Remote Work and Worker Well-Being in the Post-COVID-19 Era - Advances in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-6754-8.ch011 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 181-201

Author(s):

Elizabeth (Libby) J. Sander ◽

Alannah Rafferty ◽

Peter J. Jordan

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Well Being ◽

Performance Outcomes ◽

Physical Work ◽

Future Research ◽

Contingent Work ◽

Working From Home ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Physical Work Environment ◽

And Performance

A rise in contingent work, the increasing real estate costs for organizations, technological advances, and more recently, restrictions on movement emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of employees working from home. These have significant implications for individuals, organizations, and society. Yet the physical work environment within the home has received little attention from scholars. Research on traditional office settings indicates that the physical environment influences a range of well-being and performance outcomes, indicating a critical need for researchers to consider the impact of the physical work environment at home. To address this issue, the authors briefly summarize the effects of the physical work environment and review existing research on working from home. They then propose directions for future research and emerging methodologies to undertake this research. Finally, they detail the practical implications that these changes bring for individuals, organizations, and society.

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Ergonomics and telework: A systematic review

Work ◽

10.3233/wor-203224 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 777-788 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thiago Allan Marques de Macêdo ◽

Eric Lucas dos Santos Cabral ◽

Wilkson Ricardo Silva Castro ◽

Clodoaldo Carneiro de Souza Junior ◽

João Florêncio da Costa Junior ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Family Life ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Home Office ◽

Public And Private ◽

Scientific Debate ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Private Organizations

BACKGROUND: Telework has been widely studied by public and private organizations; however, in ergonomics, studies that focused on this topic are still sporadic. OBJECTIVE: Thus, this article endeavours to systematize the qualified scientific research related to ergonomics and teleworking to determine the main benefits and disadvantages and to identify the main issues addressed by authors. METHODS: A thorough research was conducted in the Scopus/Embase and Web of Science databases for this review. The following descriptors were used for the cataloguing of articles: “teleworking”, “telecommuting”, “telecommuters”, “home office”, “ergonomics” and “human factors”. 36 studies were selected. RESULTS: The study highlights four relevant questions in the scientific literature: a) where is the discussion of these themes consolidated; b) what are the main descriptors related to the discussion; c) which journals and conferences establish a scientific debate on the topic; and d) what are its main advantages and disadvantages. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that telecommuting can be a valuable tool for balancing professional and family life, which helps to improve the well-being of workers; however, several factors can influence the overall remote working experience which leads to the need for companies to adopt unique strategies reflecting their unique situation.

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